an equal and opposite reaction
Case Details for "Wal-Mart Stores Inc."
Wal-Mart pays $40M to current and former employees in Massachusetts
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to pay $40 million to as many as 87,500 current and former employees in Massachusetts, the largest wage-and-hour class-action settlement in the state's history.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2001, accused the retailer of denying workers rest and meal breaks, refusing to pay overtime, and manipulating time cards to lower employees' pay. Under terms of the agreement, any person who worked for Wal-Mart between August 1995 and the settlement date will receive a payment of between $400 and $2,500, depending on the number of years worked, with the average worker receiving a check for $734.
The Massachusetts case is similar to many others that have been brought against the retail behemoth by employees across the country, most alleging that the Bentonville, Ark.-based company violated laws by requiring employees to work through breaks, to work beyond their regular shifts, and similar practices. Wal-Mart has denied the allegations, but in December, Wal-Mart agreed to pay up to $640 million to settle 63 federal and state class-action wage-and-hour lawsuits.
The Massachusetts case, which was not part of that settlement, was initially filed eight years ago on behalf of 67,000 people who worked for Wal-Mart in Massachusetts between 1995 and 2005.
Posted on:2009-12-03
Company: Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Class: any person who worked for Wal-Mart between August 1995 and the settlement date
Scope: Massachusetts
Type of Case: Employment
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